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Cadets
We provide assistance and resources to all cadets and recent alumni up to one year after graduation. Cadets wishing to set-up an appointment with a member of our staff can do so by emailing careerservices@vmi.edu or by visiting our office in 311 Carroll Hall.
Professional Closet
Do you have an interview or VMI sponsored event coming up and need professional attire? Visit the Office of Career Services’ Professional Closet.
The Professional Closet is available to all cadets needing outfitted for job interviews, networking events, and other career-related or VMI sponsored events.
Purpose: This resource is designed to provide civilian professional attire to cadets to borrow/keep for job interviews, networking events, conferences, and other VMI sponsored events. The closet offers dress shirts, dress pants, blazers, and complete suits for men. It also has dress shirts, skirts, dresses, blazers, and complete suits for women. We have a variety of sizes and are continuing to collect donations to fill out our offerings. If you are unsure whether you should interview/network in your uniform or in civilian attire, contact us for advice.
How to Use It: Drop in or set an appointment with the Office of Career Services to look through offerings in your size. Find professional attire with a choice to keep or borrow.
Find something you want to keep, but it needs a little tailoring? The Office of Career Services has partnered with Auxiliary Services and the Tailoring department can provide one complimentary tailoring service. To use this, Cadets should plan ahead to look through the closet far enough in advance to account for time needed to get it tailored.
- Doing a video interview? You can borrow just a shirt, tie and jacket or blouse and blazer!
- Attending a conference or have an in-person interview? Browse our selection of professional attire to pick an outfit to borrow or keep.
- Traveling? We have suit bags that can be borrowed for transporting your professional attire.
You can drop-in for a visit to 311 Carroll Hall, or schedule an appointment in advance via Handshake and select the “Professional Closet” appointment type.
Contact the Office of Career Services with additional questions.
Career Services offers several online career resources accessible to cadets 24 hours a day. If you have questions, stop by our office in 311 Carroll Hall or email us at careerservices@vmi.edu.
Handshake is an e-recruiting resource for searching jobs, internships, career fairs, and on-Post employer recruiting visits. For assistance, review the Handshake Student Help Center for resources to help get the most out of Handshake.
Big Interview is a powerful AI-enhanced resume and interviewing tool to assist cadets with their internship and job preparation . It’s an entire resume and interview prep system – brought to you by the VMI Career Services to provide you with hands-on experience with resume building and mock interviews tailored specifically to your industry, job, and experience level! It’s not just advice – it’s allowing you to practice online!
FOCUS 2 is an online, self-guided program that identifies your work values, skills, personality preferences, and natural strengths to help you make decisions about your future career goals. Use the access code "keydet" to sign-up. Focus 2 Overview
CareerShift pulls job board listings from multiple sources (Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, Monster, etc.) to one location. You can use the advanced search options to filter to find positions right for you. CareerShift Overview
VMI Office of Career Services LinkedIn is a Career Networking Group for VMI cadets, alumni, faculty, and staff. The purpose of this group is to provide a supportive environment where members can get direction and support, solve problems, post internships, and learn skills to improve their job search and career.
Finding the right career choice starts during your first year at VMI. The four-year plan is designed for the VMI cadet so you can make the most of your four years as you prepare for your life s career. The plan will help you assess your accomplishments and determine what your next steps should be.
This guide gives an overview of the graduate school application process, from figuring out your “why” to an application timeline.
These resources will help you navigate how to network and interview online, as well as tips on how to update your job search:
- Interviewing Guide: From the VMI Office of Career Services, this resource provides tips and steps to take to best prepare for an upcoming interview.
- 9 Tips for Mastering Your Next Virtual Interview: Harvard Business School gives tips on how to prepare for your virtual interviews.
- 20 Video Interview Tips: The Muse offers 20 suggestions on how to prepare for your Google Hangout, Skype, or Zoom interviews.
- 11 Tips for Video Interview Success: VAULT has 11 tips on how to communicate your value during virtual interviews.
This handout is designed to provide insight into the stages of a typical job search process for a graduating senior.
VMI OCS Job Search Tracker [Excel]
A well-written cover letter will compliment your resume by discussing your interest in the position and the experiences and skills that qualify you to be considered for the position. An employer may not be able to tell why you are interested in a position from your resume alone, so the cover letter enhances your resume while showing why you are interested and why you are a good fit for the position.
A resume serves as a brief summary of your qualifications and experiences as they relate to the type of job you are seeking.
For more information on writing a resume, please see our Resume Writing Guide.
Use this checklist to help ensure that your résumé is polished, professional, and ready to share: Résumé Review Checklist
This Résumé Guide: Research Experience handout includes information on how to highlight your research experience on your resume.
Interested in research and scholarship opportunities? Below are some resources you may find helpful:
Effective interviews require careful and thorough preparation. This guide will help you know what to expect and how to prepare, increasing the odds that your interview is successful.
It is important to say thank you to the employers, faculty, alumni, and other networking contacts who have assisted you in your internship, career, or graduate school application process. This guide will show you how to send a professional thank you note or email.
Behavioral interview questions ask candidates to share examples of particular situations where they had to use certain skills. This guide will assist you in breaking down your answers so you can best articulate your responses.
LinkedIn can be used to network, build your online reputation, and search for jobs. A LinkedIn Profile includes descriptions of your internship, volunteer, and work experiences, like an online resume. Your LinkedIn Profile will also include information about your skills and education.
There are several opportunities to network during your cadetship at VMI. Attending a networking event is an excellent way to meet new connections and begin preparing for your job search. We’ve created this guide to give you an idea of what you can do to get the most out of attending a networking event.
This presentation covers how to effectively evaluate, negotiate, accept, and decline a job offer.
